Apparatus for dispensing chemicals into liquids

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISINFECTING AND DEODORIZING THE BOWL AND WATER CLOSET OR FLUSH TANK OF A FLUSH TOILET COMPRISING A HOLDING CONTAINER PIERCED THROUGH WITH A BALANCED TUBE BENT WITH SEVERAL ANGLES, AT ONE END OF WHICH IS A FLOAT AND THEOTHER END OPEN, SAID CONTAINER BEING POSITIONED INSIDE OF A WATER CLOSET OF A FLUSH TOILET AND CARRYING AN OIL BASE, LIGHTER THAN WATER, CHEMICAL DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT, AN OPENING IN THE WALL OF SAID CONTAINER THROUGH WHICH THE DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT DRIPS DROP BY MEASURED DROP INTO THE WATER OF A WATER CLOSET OF A TOILET. WHEN THE TOILET IS FLUSHED, SAID DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT IS DISPLACED FROM THE CONTAINER AS A RESULT OF DROPS OF WATER ENTERING THE CONTAINER THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID BALANCED TUBE, THUS DISPLACING THE CHEMICAL DISINFECTANT AND DEODORANT FROM THE CONTAINER INTO THE WATER OF THE WATER CLOSET.

June 8, 1971 c. H. KILBY, JR 5 3 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CHEMICALS INTOLIQUIDS Filed May 9, 1968 an. H mm: JR.

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United States Patent thee 3,583,005 APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING CHEMICALSINTO LIQUIDS Carl H. Kilby, In, East Point, Ga. (4200 NW. 3rd Court,Apt. 242, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33313) Filed May 9, 1968, Ser. No.733,734 Int. Cl. E03d 9/02 US. Cl. 4-228 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An apparatus and method for disinfecting and deodorizing thebowl and water closet or flush tank of a flush toilet comprising aholding container pierced through with a balanced tube bent with severalangles, at one end of which is a float and the other end open, saidcontainer being positioned inside of a water closet of a flush toiletand carrying an oil base, lighter than water, chemical disinfectant anddeodorant, an opening in the wall of said container through which thedisinfectant and deodorant drips drop by measured drop into the water ofa water closet of a toilet. When the toilet is flushed, saiddisinfectant and deodorant is displaced from the container as a resultof drops of water entering the container through an opening in saidbalanced tube, thus displacing the chemical disinfectant and deodorantfrom the container into the water of the water closet.

This invention is concerned with an apparatus and method fordisinfecting and deodorizing a container holding water. Moreparticularly, this invention is concerned with a method and an apparatusfor disinfecting and deodorizing the water closet or flush tank and bowlof toilets.

There are many known devices in use today which attempt to disinfectand/or deodorize toilets in both the private home and in public places.When the word prodnet is used hereinafter, it is defined as a chemicaldisinfectant and deodorizer. Some devices are an integral part of thetoilet assembly and some are located away from the assembly. However,these prior art devices have many drawbacks. It is generally well knownthat water based types of disinfectants reach a saturation point, andwhen this point is reached they no longer serve as a disinfectant. Inmany instances, disinfectants used in the bathrooms today, both publicand private, are of little or no value, since most users, especially inthe public bathrooms, fail to flush the toilets or water closets afteruse. Thus, these disinfectants are saturated or used up, and, when thisoccurs, breeding grounds for all varieties of bacteria or diseases areprovided. Of course this is seldom recognized by the users. This failureto flush the receptacles is largely due to fear of the user of catchingor contacting a germ from the flush handles of the commodes or waterclosets. Thus, their very fear of contacting germs results in creating abreeding ground for germs.

In addition, there are numerous types of wall-mounted drip deodorizingand disinfecting appliances or devices, most of which create hazards,not to mention the unsightly tubes or pipes. Many of these wall-mounteddevices contain glass bottles which are subject to being tampered withor maliciously destroyed. In addition, these units drip constantly andwaste the product with little or no control Patented June 8, 1971 overthe usage of said liquid product. The cake or block type deodorant whichis normally used in most toilets, again may be tampered with ormaliciously destroyed. They olfer no effective means of destroying orcontrolling germs and bacteria growth. As these cake disinfectants aregenerally located in the bowl of a toilet, they have no effect on thewater in the water closet of the toilet, itself.

It is therefore the primary objective of this invention to provide asimple, practical and economical apparatus and method of effectivelycontrolling the spread of harmful bacteria which are common in thebathrooms of today.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a device forcontrolled addition of a product to the bowl of a flush toilet.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method and device forcontrolling bacteria growth in both the bowl of a flush toilet and inthe water closet of the toilet, itself.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a method and devicefor disinfecting the bowl and water closet of a flush toilet andprolonging the life of the parts within the water closet.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following detaileddescription and drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the dispensing appliance;

FIG. 2 is a top plane view of the dispensing apparatus with the watercloset empty;

FIG. 3 is a top plane view of the dispensing apparatus with the watercloset full;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a metal strip used to attach thedispensing device inside the water closet; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the dispensing device of FIG. 1positioned inside a water closet of a toilet.

Like parts are designated by the same reference number throughout thedrawings.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in FIG. 1, plasticcylindrical container 10 will contain approximately eight ounces ofproduct. Container 10 is externally threaded at 35, the upper, open end,and cap 36 is screwed over same to provide a watertight container filledwith the product and dyestuff which may be shipped without losing any ofthe product. Cap 36 covers all the apertures 16, 18 and slot 22. Whencontainer 10 is empty, one need only remove tube 20 from the usedcontainer, remove Cap 36 of a new filled container and insert tube 20into apertures 18 and place the container in the Water closet. Thus, oneneed not buy an entirely new piece of apparatus every time the productis exhausted in an old continer. Container 10 has a bottom wall 11 uponwhich is placed internally of the container a weight 14 which willmaintain the container in a stable and upright fashion when it isimmersed in the water of a water closet. There is a conventionalwater-soluble dye 15 also placed in the bottom of the container, whichis an indicator as to when the oil base disinfectant and deodorant orproduct 30 has been exhausted. When product 30 is exhausted, the dye 15will flow into the water closet through opening 16 in the walls ofcontainer 10. Thus, when the dye appears in the bowl of the toilet, thiswill indicate that the product has been exhausted. The dyestuff isinsoluble in oil, but soluble in water.

In the top end of container 10 within the walls are two openings 18through which a tube 20 passes. This tube may be composed of copper orany other material relatively inert as to water and the product, forexample, a plastic. Tube 20 is bent with several angles in the generalshape of a compound curved S so that when the water in the water closetis at its full level, opening or open end A at one end of tube 20 issubmerged in the water, and cork I float 21 is balanced on the surfaceof the water in the water closet at the other end. Thus, with thenecessary angles at points B and C of tube 20 at the full level of waterin the water closet, water will enter tube 20 through opening A and passinto said tube, but the angle at C is such that the water in tube 20will not enter container 10 through opening 17. Tube 20 is maintained insuch a position by cork 21 that the water which is in tube 20' cannotreach opening 17 while the water closet is at its full level of water.When the water closet 40, as shown in FIG. 5, is flushed, the waterlevel of course goes to the bottom of said closet, and when this occurs,cork 21 rotates downward and rotates open end A of tube 20 in an upwarddirection, which permits the water entrapped within tube 20 to run downthe tube and exit the tube through opening 17 into the container 10which contains the liquid product. Water entering container 10 dropsthrough to the bottom, since it is heavier than the oil base productwhich is forced out of opening 16 in like quantities to be mixed withthe water in the water closet. The angles through which tube 20 are bentmay permit approximately cc. to approximately 2 cc., as may be requiredof the product to be displaced from container 10 into the water of thewater closet, depending on type of deodorant or disinfectant in use. Thetube is removably mounted in the openings.

Liquid deodorants and disinfectants are well known in the art. There areseveral manufactured by Rochester Germicidal Company which are oil basein substance. In addition, others are produced by West Chemical Company,The Plunkett Co., and Hill Manufacturing Co., and are used to retard andcontrol growth of bacteria as well as to keep disagreeable odors down.These are generally of a parachlorodibenzene base, phenol base, etc.These products are all oil-based and lighter than water; their specificgravity is less than one; therefore, they will float upon the surface ofthe water in the water closet. Thus, as the water in the water closet isdischarged at its base into the toilet bowl, the oil based chemical willcover the movable parts within the water chest as well as be dischargedinto the bowl of the toilet as the water level reaches its lowest pointin said closet.

When the water closet is full of water, FIG. 3 shows the position of theopening through which the few drops of water will exit tube 20 and entercontainer 10. There are provided holes 23 to permit entrance and exit ofair so there will be no vacuum formed within tube 20 during itsoperation. Opening 17 in tube 20 in FIG. 3 is positioned toward the topof the tube; therefore, no water will enter container 10. In FIG. 2, thewater closet is empty and opening 17 is not visible, as it is on thebottom of tube 20 directly over the chemicals provided in container 10.Thus, the water which has been trapped in tube 20 will exit the tube andenter container 10 and displace a controlled amount of product into thewater closet. This occurs to a small extent as the water is beingdischarged from the closet and also occurs during the filling operationof the water closet so there is an eflicient use of the small amount ofproduct which enters the water closet though opening 16 in container 10.There is an oily film of product floating on top of the water in thecloset when the closet is full of water.

In summary, container 10 containing product 30 in liquid form, is placedinside water closet 40 of a conventional toilet. Weight 14 is located inthe bottom of container 10. Exit aperture 16 is always located justabove the level of the water of water closet 40 when the closet is fullof Water. Water closet 40 is flushed, which results in cork 21 pullingdownwardly on its end of tube 20 and at the same time raising the otherend of tube 20 through which water has already entered through openingA. The water thus trapped in tube 20 by angles C and B is thus permittedto leave tube 20 through opening 17 by gravity. This movement of waterfrom tube 20 through opening 17 into container 10' displaces a measuredamount of product 30, equal to the volume of water which enterscontainer 10 as the water level in the water closet 40 is lowered by theflushing action. The level of product 30 is at 31 so any new liquidadded results in a like amount of 30 being forced out of container 10.As the liquid product 30 has a specific gravity of less than one, itfloats on top of the water in the water closet and is with the last ofthe liquid to leave the water closet during the flushing action. As thewater closet is emptied and the conventional valve closes, said closetstarts to fill up again, and there is still a measured amount of productbeing displaced from container 10 through opening 16 into the water ofsaid closet as the water level rises. As the Water of the water closetcontacts cork float 21, the rising water level will force cork 21 in anupward and counterclockwise motion, which gradually rotates tube 20 sothat opening 17 is no longer directly over the product 30 and hasreached a position where it is on the top of tube 20 above the level ofsaid product.

During this entire flushing action, product 30 has coated the movingparts in water closet 40 as well as killing and removing any germs orbacteria which were present in the bowl of the toilet. And at the sametime, a measured amount of product 30 has been added to the new waterwhich has entered Water closet 40 to be used in the next flushingaction. The oil film contained in the water from the water closet hasbeen lowered to the bowl and now furnishes a protective film for thefresh water in the toilet bowl. Product container 10 may be attached inany conventional manner to the wall of water closet 40. FIG. 5 shows ametal strip 25 which may be used by engaging slot 22 in the top ofcontainer 10 and being engaged over the top edge of water closet 40.Thus positioning said container within the water closet and at a properlevel within the water of said closet, itself. The strap is marked atthe top A to show where to bend it for different brands of water closetsin order to keep aperture 16 always above the water level in the watercloset.

As this invention may be embodied in several forms without departingfrom the true scope and spirit thereof, the present embodiment istherefore illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of thisinvention is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for the controlled dispensing of an oil basedisinfectant and deodorant into the water of a water closet of a flushtoilet comprising:

a cylindrical container having a closed bottom and apertures adjacentthe upper end; and

a water pickup means consisting of an apertured, hollow tube formed inthe general shape of a compound curved S rotatable about its ownlongitudinal axis only and pivotally and removably extending through apair of aligned apertures in the walls of said container serving aspivot bearings for said tube in said container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said disinfectant in said containerhas a specific gravity of less than 1.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said container contains a metalweight positioned on the bottom of said container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which water soluble dyestuif ispositioned in said cylindrical container.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said container defines an apertureat the upper open end thereof to allow the controlled exit of chemicaldisinfectant and deodorant from said container into said water closet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said tube has a. float positionedon one end and the other end is open.

of the tube.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/ 1893 Plumb 4228 221-97 11/1907 Forrester 4227UX 11/ 1908 Mitchell 4227 9/ 1911 Dunkley 4-2271,091,374 3/1914 Miller 4228 1,161,029 11/1915 CoOney 4-227 1,170,3872/1916 Andrews 4227 4225 2,071,655 2/ 1937 Purrmann 4227X FOREIGNPATENTS 9,959 4/ 1894 Great Britain 4228 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, PrimaryExaminer D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner

